He has passion for baseball and a great devotion and love for the Church. He has been involved in baseball and softball for over 50 years as a statistician and for the last 41 years he was a symbol of servant leadership to the Cathedral parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Francisco Palacios or as everyone calls him Tan Ko, receives a special tribute from the parishioners of Mt. Carmel during the Mass last Thursday, which was presided by Bishop Ryan P. Jimenez. On behalf of all parishioners, Fr. Harold presented a special plaque as a token of appreciation and acknowledgement to his 41 years of service to the Cathedral.
In his homily, Bishop Ryan thanked Tan Ko for his untiring dedication not only as a doorkeeper of the church but for his constant care to the community. “Opening the doors of the Church early in the morning, preparing the altar every time that there is mass in the cathedral and his untiring presence in every mass is Tanko’s unique way of serving God’s people with humility and trust, this is really what it takes to be a servant”, says Bishop Ryan.
A typical day for Tan Ko begins as early as 2:30 in the morning. He begins to get ready to make sure that the church doors are opened by 3:30 and the things necessary for the Mass (liturgical books, sacred vessels, linens, candles) are all prepared and ready way before the assigned priest walks into the sacristy to celebrate the Mass.
He started this humble service in 1976 when the then Msgr. Tomas Camacho was assigned to Mt. Carmel Cathedral. “He asked me if I can help him in the church,” says Tan Ko who is also a second cousin of Bishop Tomas. Since then, Tan Ko has been a part of Mt. Carmel Cathedral parish. One cannot go to Mt. Carmel Church without meeting or at least seeing this simple and humble man assisting in the altar.
In his interview with the North Star, he shared that it was her mother, Natividad Muna Palacios who motivated him to serve the Church. Mrs. Fatima P. Cabrera, one of Tan Ko’s daughters recalled how when they were younger, her grandma would bring them to the Church walking at four in the morning.
When asked where he gets his energy to serve the Church tirelessly, Tan Ko clasped his hands and with a big smile, said: “Prayer!” While waiting for the Mass to begin, one can easily observe Tan Ko sitting in a corner with his worn out prayer book constantly praying. He said that prayer gave him strength and is grateful that he only got really sick on three occasion all this 41 years.
Tan Ko was married to his wife Rufina and they were blessed with 14 children (9 girls and 5 boys). His wife died on 1997 and since then he never failed to visit her grave twice a day. Like serving in the church, it has become a part of his daily routine. “My father has always been an inspirational figure in my life, as a parent and as an individual, says Fatima Cabrera. “The life lessons and wisdom he has instilled in myself and in my siblings are what was shaped us to become humble and God-fearing Christians. Four Tan Ko’s sons also became altar servers and today his children with their families are also devoted and active parishioners in their respective parishes.
Statistician
Tan Ko is known in the baseball community in Saipan as The Statistician. Every game played on Saipan from the 1960’s until 2006 was scored by him. He has detailed statistics on every player who has ever participated in a baseball or softball game since the 60’s, not only in Saipan but also from the Mobil Games (baseball) and the Micronesian Games. He co-authored a book with Bob Colden, a local television sports reporter that contains all of his stats on baseball on Saipan.
It was no surprise therefore that in 1992, besides being the doorkeeper Tan Ko also helped in counting the Cathedral’s weekly collection where he kept a very thorough and detailed account of the collections in all Masses until 2016.
Today, Tan Ko continues to attend the morning Masses in the Cathedral but with somewhat reduced responsibility and whenever he can, he continue to assist in the preparation and the celebration of the Mass.
